I don’t know about you, but when I start learning a new skill, I want to know everything about it right away. How do I get started? What do I need to get started? How could this new skill transform my life? Being an incessant researcher of new pastimes, I love a good master post. So, I’ve made one today for one of my favorite things in the world:...
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The Complete Guide to Framing Devices
When it comes to telling a story, authors need every tool they can use to make it a memorable one. One such tool writers can use are framing devices. Framing devices help writers tell a story within a story. One story helps "frame" the other one and give more context or understanding. Even expert writers need ways to put stories together into a...
How to Write Absurdist Fiction in 5 Quick Steps
What does the word ‘absurd’ bring to mind for you? A lot of people associate ‘absurd’ with ‘ridiculous,’ usually in a humorous context, but sometimes not. If someone tells you an outlandish story, you might balk and say “that’s absurd!” to indicate that you don’t believe them—the story goes beyond your suspension of disbelief. This suspension of...
The 13 Best Horror Audiobooks of 2023
Looking for the best horror audiobooks of 2023? You've come to the right article. We've hunted around the web for the spookiest stories out there to add to your reading list this Halloween / Dia de Los Muertos. Some of these books were released this year, and some of them are older but still stand the test of time as a great creepy story. Read...
What to do after NaNoWriMo – 10 steps moving forward
You did it. You won NaNoWriMo and wrote 50,000 words. First of all: congratulations! Winning NaNoWriMo is a huge accomplishment! So what now? Here are some steps to consider after NaNoWriMo. 1. Congratulate yourself! Take a minute to breathe in and absorb. You wrote 50,000+ words in a single month. That's bonkers! What an accomplishment! Consider...
Preptober: How to Prep for NaNoWriMo and Make the Most of It
Before we fully dive into the meat of this article, we should probably define a couple terms, like NaNoWriMo and Preptober. What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which is a month-long writing event hosted in November. Writers all over the world band together to write 50,000 words of their writing projects. While...
NaNoWriMo 101
With November rolling around again, NaNoWriMo writers are gearing up for another year! In 2021, 427,653 writers participated in NaNoWriMo programs. 406 bookstores, libraries, and community centers hosted Come Write In sessions. It’s kind of a big deal! Consider this article a sort of Nanowrimo 101. We'll cover what it is, who it is for, when it...
Fiction vs Nonfiction – How to Know Which is Right for You
If you’re brand new to writing, you may feel like you’re at a bit of a loss. Where do you even get started? Maybe you took a creative writing class and just enjoyed writing poems, or maybe you’ve always had ‘write a book’ on your bucket list. You may even be a seasoned writer looking for a different writing path. One of the most fundamental...
How To Write A Short Story: 8 Steps to Successful Short Story Writing
So, you’re trying to learn how to write a short story. You might be a brand-new writer, or an established novelist looking to try out a new medium--maybe you’ve been trying to write a novel for a while and you’re finding it’s not working for you. Whatever the case may be, I’m going to break down a streamlined process that’s guaranteed to...
Character Bio Template: 200+ Character Development Questions
Think of a character bio template as a shortcut for developing realistic characters. It's the key to creating believable protagonists and antagonists that come alive through your writing. Character templates include guiding questions to help you shape your main characters as you write. By answering significant questions about your...